e-3607 (Business and trade)

Petition to the Minister of Finance

• The fitness industry represents over 150 000 jobs and serves over six million Canadians. Many fitness clubs have been forced to close permanently or lay off the majority of employees since the beginning of COVID-19;
• The fitness industry has received a disproportionate amount of negative media attention throughout the pandemic. Fitness clubs are as safe as grocery stores, medical offices, banks etc. Fitness clubs are more efficient at contact tracing as they are tracking their incoming members in their computer systems. Systems showing exactly what time they were there and who was in the building at the same time. All members arriving must sanitize and confirm they have no COVID-19 symptoms;
• The fitness industry is dependent on commitment based membership fees for their income rather than immediate walk in fees;
• The governments has announced that extension for subsidies in the tourism industry but have yet to extend for the fitness industry;
• The fitness industry will see a delay return in income following the lifting of the provincial restrictions and is expected to see a sustained loss of 30% following the accomplishment of herd immunity to COVID-19; and
• The fitness industry will see an additional loss of 20% due to the mandate of vaccine passports.